Book-rest for desks.



M. THUM.

BOOK REST FOR DESKS.

APPLICATH'IN FILED OCT. 29. 1915.

1.2021076. Patented Oct. 31,1916.

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MARTIN TI-IUM, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

BOOK-REST FOR DESKS,

Application filed October 29, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN THUM, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Rests for Desks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a book-rest adapted for use in connection with a desk, as a permanent attachment thereto.

One object of the invention is to produce a book-rest which may be conveniently moved into and out of position for use, and which, when not in use, shall be in a position in which it is out of the way. To this end I employ a book-rest which extends trans versely with respect to the desk, and which is so connected with, and supported upon, the desk that it may be swung into a vertical position at the rear and below the top of the desk.

Another object of the invention is to permit the book-rest to be used, when desired, as a shelf near the rear of the desk, and to this end I provide means for retaining and supporting the book-rest in a horizontal position at the required point.

Other objects of the invention, and the features of construction by which they are attained, will be set forth hereinafter in connection with the following description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a book-rest embodying the present invention, together with a desk upon which it is mounted, the bookrest being shown in the normal position of use; Figs. 2 and 3 are side-elevations, showing the book-rest, respectively, in position for use as a shelf, and in inoperative position at the rear of the desk; and Fig. 4 is a detail View, in vertical section and on a. larger scale than the preceding figures, showing the means for retaining the book-rest in its various positions.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a book-rest comprising a fiat board 5, provided at one edge with a ledge 6. The book-rest extends across the top 7 of the desk with which it is associated, and it is mounted on sheet-metal supports 8 at its end's. These supports are connected, by pivots 9, with plates 10 which are screwed to the sides 11 of the desk. The pivots are located approximately at the level of the top Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

Serial-No. 58,643.

of the desk, and at a distance from the rear of the desk which is only slightly less than the distance between the pivots and the ad jacent surface of the book-rest. When the book-rest is to be used as such it is swung forwardly, or toward the user, into the positlon of Fig. 1, in which it is downwardly and forwardly inclined while the ledge 6 is at its lower edge, in position to conveniently support a book or any other article. When the use of the book-rest is not desired, however, it may be swung rearwardly to the position of Fig. 3, in which it lies in a vertical position close to the rear of the desk, and extends only to a slight degree above the top of the desk. In this position it in no wise interferes with any of the ordinary uses of the desk.

It may sometimes be desirable to use the book-rest in the manner of a shelf, near the rear of the desk, and this is accomplished by arresting the swinging of the supports 8 when they are in vertical position, as in Fig. 2.

In order to retain the book-rest in its various positions, I employ means illustrated particularly in Fig. 4-. A rod 12, which extends through the desk from side to side, is supported in sleeves 13 and 14c fixed in the sides 11 of the desk, and near its ends it is provided with laterally-projecting lugs or keys 15 and 16. Each of the supports 8 is provided with a slot 17 curved concentrically with its pivot 9, and the rod 12 passes freely through these slots. At the outer margin of each slot 17 are three recesses 18, 19 and 20, respectively, each of which is adapted to receive the corresponding key 15 or 16 when the rod is in the position of Fig. 4;. A spring 21, coiled around the rod and hearing, at one end, against the sleeve 11 and, at the other end, against a pin 28 fixed in the rod, tends to retain the rod in the position of Fig. 1, but it may be forced in the opposite direction by manipulation of a knob 24: at one end, in which case the keys are disengaged from the recesses. The sleeve 13 and the plate 10 adjacent thereto are provided with recesses in line with the key 15, to permit the longitudinal movement of the rod just described, and also to prevent rotation of the rod, by constant engagement with the key.

When the book-rest is in position for ordinary use it may, if preferred, be allowed to rest upon the top of the desk, but it is usually preferable to'have it elevated slightly above the top, in order that, if the desk be provided with the usual hinged cover, it may be possible to open this cover without removing the book-rest from operative position. Accordingly, the recesses 18 are located at a short distance from the ends of the slots 17, so as to retain the book-rest in the slightly raised position shown in Fig. 1. The recesses 19 cooperate with the keys to retain the book-rest in the position of Fig. 2, while the recesses 2-0 serve to retain it in the position of Fig. 3.

I claim 1. The combination with a desk, of a book rest extending transversely of the desk, and supporting means for said rest, adjustable about a single axis to carry the rest in one position in rear of the desk below the top of the latter, and in two positions over the desk, one a horizontal position in spaced relation to the top of the desk, and the other at an angle to the horizontal, with the forward edge of the rest lowermost and in front of the axis about which the rest turns but in rear of the forward edge of the top, and means for locking the rest in any one of the three aforesaid positions.

2. The combination with a desk, of a book rest extending transversely of the desk, and supports for the ends of the rest, each pivoted to the desk to turn about a single axis nearer the rear thereof than the front and in such position relatively tothe top that the rest may lie in one position in rear of the desk below the top and in two positions above the top of the desk, one of said posi- Oopies of this patent may be obtained for tions being horizontal and spaced from the top and the otherof said positions being at an angle to the horizontal with the forward edge of the rest lowermost and in front of the axis about which the rest turns but in rear of the forward edge of the top, and means for locking the rest in any one of the three aforesaid positions.

3. The combination with a desk, of a book rest extending transversely of the desk, and supports for the ends of the rest pivoted to the top to swing about a single axis substan tially in the plane of the latter and nearer to the rear than to the front of the desk, the length of the supports being such that the rest may move to a position in the rear of the desk below the top thereof, and also in two positions above the desk, one a horizontal position spaced from the top of the desk and another at an angle to the horizontal with the forward edge of the rest lowermost and in front of the axis about which the rest turns but in rear of the forward edge of the top, and means for locking the rest in any one of the three aforesaid positions. 7

4-. The combination with a desk, of a book rest, two supports pivoted to the desk and having curved slots concentric with the pivots of the supports and notches in the walls of the slots, a longitudinally movable rod extending through both slots and formed with two projections adapted to enter the notches to lock the supports against turning, one end of the rod being formedwith a hand piece.

MARTIN THUM.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G, a 

